Tutorial and Example Packages

Radiation Effects

• Single-Event Upsets in CMOS SRAM
• Single-Event Transitent in Analog Circuit
• Total Ionizaing Dose Effects in CMOS

Sensors and Detectors

• CMOS Image Sensor
• Radiation Detectors

Electrostatic Discharge

• ESD protection device: ggNMOS

Advanced CMOS

• FinFET: with density-gradient quantum correction model

Single-Event Upsets in CMOS SRAM

Tutorial guide | Video Demo | Input file package

This tutorial covers the procedures of simulating Single-Event Upset (SEU) effect in an SRAM chip. SEU cross-sections under ion beams of various ion are obtained from the simulations.

Excellent match with experimental data shows that Cogenda Gds2Mesh/Gseat/Genius tools based TCAD modeling can predict real-world semiconductor device SEU effect, and thus delivers simple but powerful solution for research of semiconductor device radiation effect and radiation hardening approach.

• Input:
  • for Device: Layout and Process Rule
  • for Radiation: Ion species and Its Energy, Incident Position, Direction
• Output:
  • Tracks of Every Single Ion and Their Delta Rays
  • Device's Transient Response for Every Single Event
  • How Close to Upset for Every Single Event
  • SEU Cross-Section

Single-Event Transient in Analog Circuit

Tutorial guide | Input file package

This tutorial describes a TCAD/SPICE mixed-mode simulation approach for studying Single-Event Transients (SET) in an Op-Amp chip (LM124).

This BJT chip is too large to fit into TCAD as a whole, so only the device (or device pair) hit by the particle is simulated in TCAD, while all other components are handled in SPICE circuit simulator. This mixed-mode approach enabled us to study SET in larger, more complex analog circuits, without compromising on physical details.

• Input:
  • for Device: Layout and Process Rule
  • for Circuit: Net-list and SPICE Model
  • for Radiation: Ion species and Its Energy, Incident Position, Direction
• Output:
  • Device's Transient Response for Every Single Event

Total Ionizing Dose Effects in CMOS

Tutorial guide

In this tutorial, the physics predure of TID effects and the model equations that will be implemented in Genius is outlined first. Following that, the radiation effects on leakage current, threshold and subthreshold slope of nMOSFET devices are illustrated with TCAD simulations using this physics-based model. Some process, device and circuit factors that may affect TID effect in MOSFET are described in subsequent sections.

• Input:
  • for Device: Layout and Process Rule
  • for Radiation: Ionization Dose Distribution
• Output:
  • Carrier Distribution
  • Leakage Current
  • Threshold and Subthreshold Slope

CMOS Image Sensor

Tutorial guide | Input file package

This tutorial demonstrate the modeling of a complete CMOS image sensor cell with 3D TCAD simulation.

Ray-tracing optics is coupled with TCAD to study the transient response of the sensor cell.

Radiation Detectors

Tutorial guide | Input file package

This tutorial is a quick-start guide for simulating Si strip and pixel radiation detector in 2D and 3D, using VisualTCAD and VisualParticle. The behavior of energetic particle is simulated by Monte Carlo simulation, and the behavior of charge carrier is simulated by TCAD simulation. The details of the detector's transient response can be given.

• Input:
  • for Detector: Layout and Process Rule
  • for Radiation: Particle Species and Its Energy, Incident Position, Direction
• Output:
  • Tracks of Particles
  • Energy Deposition along Tracks
  • Device's Transient Response to Particles
  • Energy Resolution of the Detector

ESD protection device: ggNMOS

Tutorial guide | Input file package

This tutorial illustrates a simulation of ESD discharge characteristics of a ggNMOS device in Genius.

GgNMOS device is commonly used in ICs as ESD protection device. It relies on the turn-on of a parasitic BJT transistor to bypass the large ESD current, and the joule heating in device is a primary reason of its failure. This tutorial covers the physics model needed to model the parasitic device, the impact-ionization effect and thermal effect in ggNMOS. The simulations under the transmission-line pulse (TLP) and human-body mode (HBM) waveforms were demonstrated.

FinFET: with density-gradient quantum correction model

Tutorial guide | Input file package

This tutorial describes a simulation of a FinFET devices, and the use of the density gradient model to describe the quantum confinement of inversion carriers.

In advanced nano scale MOS process technologies, quantum effect becomes more and more important and non-negligible. The density-gradient model is a powerful tool for quantum effect simulationcan in TCAD simulators, and has been demonstrated to be suitable in the simulation of deca-nanometer multi-gate transistors.